The Tales of Hoffman bears well the name of its genre: opéra fantastique. The last work of the famed operetta composer, Jacques Offenbach, Hoffman transcends many labels and pre-conceived notions: it is serious as it is comic, dark as it is light, popular as it is introspective and abstract. It entertains while it takes the public on the hero’s psychological journey through his life and loves. Hoffman’s obsession for the diva Stella can only be understood through his past love affairs with different women, each a facet of Stella’s personality. Offenbach invites us on this wild journey with wild musical scenes and gorgeous melodies that are recognizable even to a first- time listener
Go to the site here
